The resources of the South China Sea and the East China Sea (oil, fish, shipping routes, the strategically important location of the islands, etc.) are becoming the subject of an increasingly fierce conflict between countries claiming for disputed territories in the region, as well as because of Washington, which uses the principle of free shipping as a tool to promote their own interests around the world.

Now we can see the peak of tension in the region due to the aspirations of each of the countries (Japan, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia) to become a leader. There have not been direct military conflicts yet, however, many experts fear that this could happen in the near future. So will Washington continue to “pull the strings”, inciting these states to a real battle? And will it be at all?

The title is wrong. I expected a general discussion about the global battle for resources and not about the disputes in the South China Sea.

I'm afraid, but I think China has more leverage because it's more important to regional countries for economic development even if it can't match the US militarily. It all depends on whether China can use its leverage wisely. An aggressive stance would drive many countries into the US camp just to spite Beijing.

The Chinese commercial and ethnic presence in the region has been substantial before; however, the recent US-China trade war has driving even more Chinese companies to heavily invest in Vietnam and other countries in the region to circumvent US tariffs. Unless the Chinese play hardball, most countries in the region won't want to risk antagonizing the Chinese.

That's what BRI, Silk Road and the Vladivostok agreements are all about.

There are a number of dimensions to this. One is Trump's incompetence. China was working with us to restrain NK. Thanks to Trump, NK is off the leash.

Trump's flailing has made a lot of countries, not just Asia, think they can't depend on us. Which has helped China enormously. The Silk Road is now planning on going all the way to the Nordic countries. Russia and China has put their historic enmity aside to work together to pursue common interests. Even South Korea is making it's peace with China.

This isn't a diplomatic setback, it's a collapse of Pax Americana. What's even worse, it has reduced our influence in China, and the rest of Asia, to find a peaceful solution to accomodate China's rise.

There are a number of dimensions to this. One is Trump's incompetence. China was working with us to restrain NK. Thanks to Trump, NK is off the leash.

Trump's our last hope to contain North Korea which dislikes South Korea but admires Trump's audacity. We cannot count on China that has supported North Korea's nuclear weapons programs covertly. China wants to keep North Korea as a rogue nuclear state. Trump's deputies will meet with North Koreans in Sweden in this weekend. There is the new offer from Washington: The United Nations would suspend sanctions on Pyongyang’s textile and coal exports for 36 months in exchange for the verifiable closure of the Yongbyon nuclear facility and another measure, most likely the end of North Korea’s uranium enrichment.

STOCKHOLM (REUTERS) - A North Korean delegation headed by the country's chief nuclear negotiator Kim Myong Gil has landed in Stockholm, Sweden for denuclearisation talks with the US, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday (Oct 3).

Earlier on Thursday, Kim, speaking to Yonhap news agency at Beijing airport, said he and other officials were heading to Sweden.

"We're going for the DPRK-US working-level negotiations," Kim told reporters in Beijing, according to Yonhap.

"There's been a new signal from the US side, so we're going with great expectations and optimism about the outcome."

LET'S MAKE THE WORLD GREAT AGAIN TOGETHER!Давайте вместе снова сделаем мир великий!

ThirdTerm wrote:Trump's our last hope to contain North Korea which dislikes South Korea but admires Trump's audacity. We cannot count on China that has supported North Korea's nuclear weapons programs covertly. China wants to keep North Korea as a rogue nuclear state. Trump's deputies will meet with North Koreans in Sweden in this weekend. There is the new offer from Washington: The United Nations would suspend sanctions on Pyongyang’s textile and coal exports for 36 months in exchange for the verifiable closure of the Yongbyon nuclear facility and another measure, most likely the end of North Korea’s uranium enrichment.

I don't see NK willing to follow China's footsteps so interesting times ahead indeed.

late wrote:That's what BRI, Silk Road and the Vladivostok agreements are all about.

There are a number of dimensions to this. One is Trump's incompetence. China was working with us to restrain NK. Thanks to Trump, NK is off the leash.

Trump's flailing has made a lot of countries, not just Asia, think they can't depend on us. Which has helped China enormously. The Silk Road is now planning on going all the way to the Nordic countries. Russia and China has put their historic enmity aside to work together to pursue common interests. Even South Korea is making it's peace with China.

This isn't a diplomatic setback, it's a collapse of Pax Americana. What's even worse, it has reduced our influence in China, and the rest of Asia, to find a peaceful solution to accomodate China's rise.

The pax Americana has started to crumble with the Iraq war and probably earlier. Nobody wants a rogue policeman. A rogue country is bad enough, a rogue superpower is fatal. With Trump that dark side, which has always existed, has just come into the open. We can drop the false narrative of the benevolent US superpower.

China has never contained NK, certainly not more than now. The Chinese always used NK to needle the West. That hasn't changed. Trump uses the US to promote his own ego. It's pathological and quintessential American.

A country of 1.4 billion will have a geopolitical role in the world, whether the US likes it or not. Trump is just accelerating China's rise, which would have happened anyways. You cannot stifle the economic development of a people. We all have a right to self-fulfillment.

South Korea (Korea as a whole) has always had great affinity with China. The Korean peninsula is part of China's sphere of influence. The US is only there because of the division. The empire can only thrive by divide and conquer tactics. There will be no peace as long as the US doesn't leave. That is as true for Asia as it is for Europe.

China beat the West at its own game. The US, instead of playing ball, now wants to bent the rules of the game in its own favor. Nobody can agree with that.

find a peaceful solution to accomodate China's rise.

There is no reason to assume that China's rise will not be peaceful. What is doubtful is that the US's decline will be peaceful.

Atlantis wrote:The pax Americana has started to crumble with the Iraq war and probably earlier. Nobody wants a rogue policeman. A rogue country is bad enough, a rogue superpower is fatal. With Trump that dark side, which has always existed, has just come into the open. We can drop the false narrative of the benevolent US superpower.

China has never contained NK, certainly not more than now. The Chinese always used NK to needle the West. That hasn't changed. Trump uses the US to promote his own ego. It's pathological and quintessential American.

A country of 1.4 billion will have a geopolitical role in the world, whether the US likes it or not. Trump is just accelerating China's rise, which would have happened anyways. You cannot stifle the economic development of a people. We all have a right to self-fulfillment.

South Korea (Korea as a whole) has always had great affinity with China. The Korean peninsula is part of China's sphere of influence. The US is only there because of the division. The empire can only thrive by divide and conquer tactics. There will be no peace as long as the US doesn't leave. That is as true for Asia as it is for Europe.

China beat the West at its own game. The US, instead of playing ball, now wants to bent the rules of the game in its own favor. Nobody can agree with that.

There is no reason to assume that China's rise will not be peaceful. What is doubtful is that the US's decline will be peaceful.

Anybody think China's rise being peaceful is delusional. Not that they intend to be violent, but their system breeds unchecked corruption and greed, and that leads to violence.